Former Australian spin bowler Brad Hogg made a strong prediction before South Africa’s semi-final game against Afghanistan. The two teams will compete in the knockout stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on June 26, Thursday. Hogg said that if South Africa wins the semi-final, they will go on to win the championship by also winning the final. South Africa, along with India, is one of the teams that has not lost any games in this important tournament. Led by Aiden Markram, South Africa has won all seven of their matches to reach the semi-final stage.
South Africa is once again close to winning their first ICC championship as they play against Afghanistan, who reached the semi-finals for the first time. The Proteas have been in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup seven times but have never made it to the final. They are happy because they don’t have to play against Australia, a team that has beaten them three out of four times.
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Hogg thought about South Africa’s chances of reaching the final in the tournament and winning their first ICC championship.
“They are starting to do well now. It’s impressive. I also like Hendricks, I think he’s a good player. And they need to strengthen their team, they can create a strong spin attack. Especially with Klassen. I believe he will perform well against Afghanistan and help them reach the finals,” Hogg said during the Star Sports Press Room Show.
He also complimented the spin bowling pair of Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj, saying they have been very important for South Africa in the tournament up to now.
“I believe South Africa will win, and they have a very strong team with good spin bowlers like Shamsi and Maharaj. I’m not focusing on the big teams now, and I think they’ll need to play well again to win. They just need to be confident and choose the right team for the final. If I’m right about the semi-final, I think South Africa will win the final this year,” Hogg said.
Hogg believes that South Africa has become a well-rounded team with Markram as the captain, who stays calm and in control.
“I believe I’ve managed to create a balanced team and I’ve also brought in some aggression along with kindness. I really admire Markram as the captain. He is accurate and remains very calm. I also think, we will win as a team that is very composed, not getting stressed and creating the right atmosphere.”
